Motsuji Temple, a World Heritage Site with Japan's oldest Pure Land Garden (Iwate Prefecture)

located in Hiraizumi Town, Iwate PrefectureMotsuji Templein 850Jikaku Daishi Ennin. It is said to have been founded

which includes Chūson-ji Temple in Hiraizumi, Risshaku-ji Temple in Yamagata Prefecture, and Zuigan-ji Temple in Miyagi Prefecture, all of which were founded"Four Temple Corridor,"it is considered one of the temples that make up the

Link:Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples in Michinoku "Four Temple Corridor"

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A Tendai Buddhist temple founded by Jikaku Daishi Ennin

Motsuji Temple is a Tendai sect temple founded in 850 by Jikaku Daishi Ennin, just like Chusonji Temple. The"Motsuji Temple Grounds and Attached Shrine Site"is designated as a National Special Historic Site, andthe "Motsuji Temple Garden"is designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty.

In 2011,"Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land,"along with Chūson-ji Temple, the ruins of Kanjizaiō-in Temple, the ruins of Muryōkō-in Temple, and Kinkei-zan Mountaina World Heritage SiteandIntangible Cultural Heritage Site.

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Revived over two generations of the Oshu Fujiwara clan

After its founding in 850, Motsuji Temple was destroyed by fire and fell into ruin

whichThe second head of the Fujiwara clan, Motohira,began the restoration and constructionthe third head, Hidehira, and many temple buildings were constructed.

At the time, there were about 40 temples and pagodas, about 500 Zen rooms, and the main hall, lecture hall, Jodo Hall, two-story main gate, bell tower, sutra storehouse, and other buildings known as Enryuji Temple, and it is said that at the time it surpassed Chusonji Temple in size and splendor

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After the fall of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, he was protected by the Kamakura shogunate and the Date clan

After the fall of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, the temple was protected by the Kamakura shogunate, but was again destroyed by fire in 1226, and about 350 years later, in 1573, it was again destroyed by fire during war, and for many years only the earthen platform and foundation stones remained

Later, in the Edo period, the temple became part of the Sendai domain and came under the protection of the Date clan, just like Chusonji Temple. When Date Masamune passed away, the Shaka Triad, which was the principal image at the time, was moved to Zuihoji Temple, which was built as Masamune's family temple

In the Meiji era, the main hall and the priests' quarters were rebuilt, and in 1921 the main gate of Ichinoseki Castle of the Date Ichinoseki Domain was relocated and used as the main gate

Currently, only the new main hall, built in the Heian period in 1989, and the Jogyo-do Hall, built in the mid-Edo period, remain, but the vast grounds also include a spacious sandbar and the Oizumigaike Pond, with its magnificent stonework

The principal image of the temple is Yakushi Nyorai, flanked by the Bodhisattvas of Nikko and Gakko. Every year, the "Ennen no Mai" dance is dedicated at the Jyogyodo Hall, and together with the Jyogyozammaiku ritual that has been performed continuously since the temple's founding, it has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan

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Highlights of Motsuji Temple

, which preserves the remains of a temple complex from the Heian period"Jodo Garden," the oldest garden in Japan.

As a result of comprehensive excavations that took place over a period of five years from 1954, it was discovered that the Motsuji Temple Garden is a Pure Land style garden that was created faithfully in accordance with the Sakuteiki, a secret book on garden construction from the Heian period

Oizumigaike Pond and the stream that leads to it were constructed based on excavation surveys, and today, on the banks of the gently meandering Yari-mizu stream, which resembles a natural stream, a "Kyokusui no Utage" (Sounds of Water) is held, where people dress in Heian period costumes and compose waka poetry

There is a magatama-shaped island in the center of the large pond, with one island on the southeastern shore and three on the southern side. The gently curving perimeter of the pond and the island in the middle are paved with pebbles, creating a coastal landscape along the water's edge

At the tip of the rugged, rocky outcrop on the southeastern shore, a stone over 2 meters high stands at a perfect angle, creating a striking and memorable scene that accentuates the calm water. In 1689,Matsuo Bashoand, remembering Yoshitsune who committed suicide at Takadate in 1189, composed the"Summer grasses—the remnants of warriors' dreams,"and a monument inscribed with this haiku stands on the temple grounds.

Motsuji Temple <Information>

• Name: Motsuji Temple
• Address: 58 Hiraizumi Osawa, Hiraizumi-cho, Nishiiwai-gun, Iwate Prefecture, 029-4102
• Phone number: 0191-46-2331
• Official URL:https://www.motsuji.or.jp/

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